Consoles are an important constituent of modern program-controlled machine tools since they form the functional interface between the operator and the program control of the machine tool. Depending on the machine type and the functions of the respective machine tool different consoles are used which are either directly mounted to a part of the machine wall or the protective cabin with their respective, inherently stable housing or arranged in the surroundings of the machine. In case of complex machining centers such as, particularly, lathe and milling centers, consoles attached to the free end of a supporting arm with their stable housing are common. The supporting arm generally comprises a horizontal arm portion hinged to the base of the machine tool so as to be pivotable about at least one vertical axis. This horizontal arm portion is followed by an arm portion directed upwardly on the free end of which the console is mounted. The respective length of the horizontal arm portion and the arm portion pointing upward are determined so that the console can be moved in a sufficiently large pivoting arc and is arranged in an ergometrically optimized height and inclination. The housings of such consoles are generally integrally formed and comprise a keypad oriented transversely in space in their lower part, a number of operating buttons being provided on the keypad in addition to a character and numerical keyboard. An upper housing portion comprising at least one display unit including a screen facing the operator is integrally formed with the lower housing portion.